


lost and found

by Mallowleaf



Category: Original Work, Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Fander Sides, How Do I Tag, M/M, Original Character(s), it's someone's sides, so based off sanders sides basically lol, this is for a request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-14 23:36:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18486754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mallowleaf/pseuds/Mallowleaf
Summary: It was supposed to be a worry free afternoon. But then Lev gets lost.





	lost and found

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eatmoarveggis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eatmoarveggis/gifts).



It was only on rare occasions that Riley fully manifested their sides.

Space was hard to find in their dorm, and they didn’t think their roommate would appreciate having four other people who looked exactly like them appear out of nowhere. Not to mention that there was rarely a time where Riley found themselves alone long enough to hold a full conversation with the different aspects of themselves without being interrupted by various people coming in and out of the dorm. 

The only time Riley really manifested them was when they took trips to the other side of town. There, they were able to have the sides hang out with them without worrying too much about getting too much unwanted attention. They always went to the part of town where no one knew them, where no one would stop to care and wonder why there were five people who looked similar to one another. 

Today was one of those rare days where Riley’s schedule granted them a few hours of completely free time. There were no deadlines hanging over their head and the only real plans that they had were later on in the night, leaving the rest of the day open. 

“Freedom!” Reese cried as he rose up, gleefully spinning around in a circle with his arms outstretched. 

“Really, Reese, there is no need for dramatics.” Flint rose up, rolling his eyes and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Aw, let him have his fun!” Lev said, looping his arm around Flint’s shoulders with a grin. Flint didn’t seem to agree with what Lev was saying, but the tension that had been present in his shoulders melted away a bit as he leaned into Lev’s hold. 

Reese had already sprinted away towards the trees that populated the area a few feet in front of them, laughing gleefully. Lev tugged Flint after him as he wandered over to a particularly green area of grass. 

“There he goes, racing towards the tallest tree.” Beckett, who had risen up last, muttered under his breath with a shake of his head, watching as Reese wrapped his arms around a tree like he was attempting to hug it. Riley sent a curious look in his direction and he raised an eyebrow. “What? He quotes that musical so much I could recite it word for word!”

Riley laughed. “I can believe that.”

The pair stood there quietly for a moment, watching as Reese tried to clamber up the tree. He lost his footing, frantically scrambled to find a branch and managed to grab onto it and pull himself upright just in time. And then he turned around and flashed a thumbs up at Riley and Beckett like he didn’t almost plunge to the ground mere seconds ago. 

“He’s going to kill himself.” Beckett said exasperatedly. He took off towards the tree where Reese had gotten caught on a branch and was teetering dangerously as he tried to pull himself loose. 

“Riley!”

They turned and looked over to see Lev waving at them excitedly, sitting on the grass next to Flint. “Come sit with us!” 

Riley smiled and walked over over, plopping down next to Lev. “How’re you two doing?” They asked, leaning back onto their elbows. 

“We’re doing great, kiddo!” Lev said. He was holding Flint’s hand and, as he talked, he squeezed Flint’s hand gently. “It’s such a nice day and you know how much I love being out here!” 

Riley tilted their head back towards the sky. Trees stretched overhead, spreading their leaves to the sky. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling on their face lightly. It was such a nice day; the last day of winter had long since bled away, leaving only the gentle warmth of spring. “It is nice, isn’t it?”

Lev beamed and patted Riley’s hand before diving into a ramble about all the animals he saw passing them by. Every now and then Flint would interject with a fact about each animal that Lev mentioned. Riley watched the two of them, taking in the smiles they sent one another. 

The three of them sat like that for a while, talking and relaxing while Reese and Beckett messed around a few feet away under the trees. 

And then Reese trotted over, hair a mess with leaves and sticks stuck in his hair. “Beckett pushed me!” 

“You literally tripped over your own feet.” Beckett drawled, walking over to them with his hands tucked into his pockets. “How am I to blame for you being a klutz?” 

“Anyway!” Reese said loudly, talking over Beckett. “I was thinking we should take a walk down to the pier!” 

Lev looked up excitedly. “We’ve never been to the pier before! We should totally go!” 

“I’d be fine with that.” Riley said. They looked over at Flint and Beckett expectantly. 

“I’m down as long as no one falls in.” Beckett said with a shrug. 

“I suppose it’ll be interesting to see the pier for ourselves.” Flint agreed. 

Both Lev and Reese let out a cheer, and Reese helped everyone to their feet. Once everyone was up, they began their way out of the park and onto the street. 

As they walked down the street, signs advertising various stores and products became more and more present. One particularly vibrant ad advertised the Disney store that, according to the sign, was only a few blocks away from where they were. Lev excited pointed it out, and asked if they could go there before they headed to the pier. 

That meant, however, that they had to brave the crowds populating the streets. Pushing through a pulsing mass of people all talking loudly about nothing in particular isn’t exactly the most appealing thing, but Lev seemed so excited that no one really wanted to say no. 

Reese laced his fingers through Beckett’s, Riley shoved their hands into their pockets and then they were off. As a group they pushed themselves through the crowd, bumping shoulders with the people they passed. Reese took the lead, dragging Beckett along with them and excitedly pointed out different brightly colored signs hanging from the buildings that towered over them. Beckett was acting uninterested in what Reese was saying, but Riley could see the smile that Beckett was hiding behind his other hand.

And then Riley’s attention was drawn to the towering buildings above them. They were all so vibrantly decorated - some were painted bright colors, others had plants dripping down from various window sills that danced in the breeze. No one around them seemed to care about the sight, heads down as they rushed to where they needed to get. But Riley was fascinated by all the different sights the city had to offer.

They were so fascinated, in fact, that they nearly didn’t hear Beckett calling out to them.

“Uh, guys?”

Riley looked up from where they had been carefully watching a bird attempt to cross the street. Beckett’s voice was colored with hesitation and nerves, a combination that didn’t sound very promising. He was unconsciously tugging on the drawstrings of his hoodie, looking a bit pale. 

“What’s wrong?” Riley asked. 

“Where’s Lev?”

The world seemed to stop for a moment. Riley jerked their head to the left. Flint was there, eyebrows furrowed as he took in what Beckett was saying and - that was it. There was no Lev right next to Flint, no Lev smiling at Riley with his signature grin overflowing with energy and jokes waiting to be told. It was jus Flint and the empty sidewalk next to him. 

Riley’s breath caught in their throat. 

“He was right here a minute ago.” Flint said, frowning down at his hand. “He was right next to me. How could he have disappeared so easily?” 

“What if he’s hurt?” Beckett asked. His voice shook and his hands were trembling. “He’s all alone - what if he’s scared and can’t find his way back to us and stays lost -” 

Reese caught Beckett’s hands and pulled them to his chest. “Lev is going to be okay.” He said soothingly, squeezing Beckett’s hands. “Just take a breath; everything is going to be fine.” 

“Yes, we have to stay calm.” Flint said. He looked rather unaffected by the turn of events. But Riley knew him well enough to see through his facade. Rocking back and forth slightly on his heels when he usually stood straight and still, hands unconsciously straightening his glasses and hair and shirt when they normally hung motionless by his side - Flint was worried. 

Riley pushed their hand through their hair and tried to swallow past the tightly wound ball of anxiety that was stuck in their throat. “We should look for him, maybe even split up - cover more ground.” 

“Good idea.” Beckett said. “I call Reese.” He went to dart off towards the right, but Reese grabbed him by the hood and tugged him back. 

“Woah, slow down!” Reese said, eyes sparkling. “We wouldn’t want to lose you as well, now would we?”

Beckett rolled his eyes, but leaned over and laced his fingers through Reese’s. “Lets go, Connor Mopey.” Reese barely had time to react before Beckett was pulling on Reese’s hand and the pair disappeared into the crowd. 

Riley flashed a small smile at Flint. “Guess we’re teaming up.” 

“We should retrace our steps.” Flint said, turning and beginning to make his way back in the direction of the park. “It’s our best bet to find Lev. Knowing him, he probably got distracted by something we passed along the way.” 

Riley hummed in agreement and fell into step besides Flint. Tucking their hands into their pockets, Riley glanced sideways at Flint. “Do you think Lev is okay?” 

“Yes.” 

Riley wrinkled their nose. “How could you be so sure?” 

Flint let out a sigh. “Tell me, Riley, how do you feel right now?”

Biting their lip, Riley tried to concentrate. The anxiety that had been caught in their throat felt like it had expanded, clawing down their throat and taking up residence between their lungs. “Pretty worried.” 

“That would be Beckett’s influence.” Flint said with a nod. “Anything else? Anything that could be considered out of the ordinary?” 

“No, not really.” Riley said with a frown. “Should I?”

Flint shook his head. “No, that’s good. If something had happened to Lev - if he was injured - then you would have felt it. We are, at essence, just a part of you. The fact that you don’t feel anything drastically different is a good sign. Lev may be lost, but he is okay.” 

“What would happen if he got hurt?” Riley asked. They still didn’t understand much about how their sides worked, and at every opportunity they could they tried to learn everything they could. 

“Nothing good.” Flint said. Riley waited, expecting more information to come, but when they glanced back at Flint they saw how he was clenching his jaw tightly, the way his hands were balled up. Flint may claim to be emotionless, but Riley could see how the question had affected him. 

Riley pressed their lips together and dropped the subject. 

They walked that way for a while, silent and lost in their own thoughts. They pushed their way through the crowds of people, not stopping even when their shoulders collided with people who passed them by. The silence was thick and heavy, not broken until Riley’s phone began to ring loudly. 

Fumbling with it, Riley quickly accepted the call and shoved it against their ear. “Hello?” They asked, fulling expecting to be greeted by news that Lev had been found. 

Instead they were greeted by the cheerful voice of Amy, one of their friends. “Hey Riley! How’re you going?” 

Riley bit their lip. Explaining that they were wandering around the other side of town trying to find the personification of their emotional side probably wouldn’t have gone over well. So instead, Riley said, “Pretty good. How about you?”

“You know me.” Amy said, and the grin in her voice was pabebe. “I’m so excited for tonight!” 

Riley managed to let out a laugh. “Same here.” They ran a hand through their hair and, out of the corner of their eye, saw Flint fiddling with his own phone. “But, uh, I’m kinda busy right now. Can I call you back?” 

“Of course!” Amy said. She didn’t seemed to concerned that Riley was cutting their conversation short. “I'll see you later!”   
“Yeah, totally!” Riley said with faux cheer before hanging up and shoving their phone back into their pocket. 

They walked closer to Flint, eyeing the phone case in his hand. Flint didn’t seem to notice their curious glance, instead too focused on whatever he was reading on his phone. 

“I didn’t realize you had phones.” Riley said. “Is that the IPhone X?”

Flint looked up. “Of course we have phones. We are essentially not real, so it's hardly difficult to summon what we need, although I must admit I had a harder time summoning this outside the mindscape.” As he was talking, the phone began to vibrate in his hand. Swiping at the screen, he pushed is against his ear. “Hello, Reese. Is everything alright?” 

Flint went quiet, listening to Reese talk on the other end. Riley leaned in, trying to hear what was being said, but aside from the occasionally mumbled word they couldn’t hear much. 

“Really?” Flint said, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. “That’s wonderful! We’ll be over there in a few moments. 

“What? What’s wonderful?” 

Flint began to walk back the way they had come and motioned for Riley to follow him. “They found Lev.” He called over his shoulder. 

Riley’s shoulders sagged with relief. They had started to worry that Lev might never be found, but the fact that not only was he safe but with their other sides made Riley feel all the better. “Where was he?” They asked, pushing their hair off their forehead and jogging after Flint. 

“They found him in an ice cream shop, apparently.” Flint said. 

Riley let out a relieved laugh and shook their head. “Why am I not surprised?” 

The walk to the ice cream shop was relatively short. It was only a few blocks away, and the pair covered that quickly, wanting to see Lev as fast as they possibly could. 

As soon as they walked into the shop, they saw Reese, Beckett and Lev all sitting at a booth near the back. Beckett was latched onto Lev, looking perfectly happy to never let Lev go. Reese was sitting on the other side of Lev, patting his shoulder absentmindedly as he rambled on about something. 

“Hey guys,” Lev said sheepishly as Flint and Riley approached the table. 

“Lev,” Flint said seriously as he slid into a seat across from Lev. “Don’t ever do anything like this again.” 

“I’m sorry.” Lev said, turning red. “I got distracted and by the time I thought to tell you guys, you were already gone.” He squirmed around in Beckett’s grip and pushed two cups towards them. “I got you ice cream though!” 

Flint didn’t touch the cup, but Riley grabbed one of them with a smile. “Thanks, Lev.” Then a thought occurred to them. “Wait, how did you pay for this?” 

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Flint said, talking over Riley and reaching over to squeeze Lev’s hand. Lev beamed at him and squeezed back. 

“Now that Lev is safe and sound, can we continue to make our way to the pier?” Reese asked. While Riley’s attention was on Lev, Reese had somehow managed to climb on top of the booth and stretched out like a cat. Beckett caught Riley’s eye and shook his head, a smile smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

“Sure, Reese.” Riley said, hiding a smile behind their hands. 

Reese let out a cheer and clambered down from the booth, nearly hitting Flint in the face with his foot. Flint let out a startled squawk of surprise that he would later deny, and shoved Reese away from him, nearly sending Reese face first onto the floor. 

“Alright guys, take it easy.” Riley said, watching as Reese flailed around before regaining his balance and sticking his tongue out at Flint. 

“Very mature.” Flint muttered under his breath. 

Beckett pushed himself out of the booth and stretched his arms over his head, his back cracking into place before going over and standing next to Reese. Riley also pushed themselves out of the chair they were in and dumped all the cups that had accumulated onto the table into the garbage can near the booth. “I’m ready when you guys are.”

As a group, they made their way out the shop, but before they could get very far Flint leaned over to Lev and grabbed his hand tightly. “This time, don’t wander off.” He said seriously. 

“I’ll be right here.” Lev promised. “I won’t go anywhere.” 

Flint nodded, but didn’t let go of his grip. And for the rest of the day, Flint stood right by Lev’s side, never letting go until they were back in the mindscape, safe and sound.

**Author's Note:**

> hi guys! so, this fic was requested by @eat-moar-veggis, who asked if i could write a fic about their own sides! it’s v unlike anything else i’ve ever written in this fandom and i’m not exactly used to write other people’s ocs - but it was a really fun thing to write!! riley also has an ask blog ( @ask-villegas-sides) for their sides, so check out that if you want to know more about their sides :)) 
> 
> Come find me on tumblr @purplepatton and say hi!!


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